


A red tulip and a pining dwarf

by nutzone



Category: The Hobbit (Jackson Movies), The Hobbit - All Media Types, The Hobbit - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: Cultural Differences, Flowers, Language of Flowers, M/M, Mirkwood, Pining, Shyness, Thorin POV, Thorin has this really big crush, bilbo being super cute
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-03-04
Updated: 2014-03-04
Packaged: 2018-01-14 14:11:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,507
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1269349
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nutzone/pseuds/nutzone
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Bilbo loves flowers. Thorin notices, and is very taken by this. He soon discovers that his feelings for the burglar perhaps are a bit more than just friendly, but dares not to make an advance.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A red tulip and a pining dwarf

Bilbo Baggins loved flowers. This was common knowledge in the Shire, of course; that one often than not could one spot the hobbit, prancing about in a field of daisies nearby his home, whistling happily.

The dwarves of Thorin’s company were starting to learn this, too. Sometimes, as they walked through the woods, their burglar would simply stop, and crouch down. Thorin had been worried, at first- was he sick? Had he been bitten by a viper? However, he soon saw the true reason behind Bilbo’s halt; Bilbo was stroking a handsome magnolia, with a smile on his face.

Thorin had growled in irritation and muttered something about those damn good-for nothing Halflings (just as ridiculous as elves!). If his heart fluttered a bit at Bilbo’s beaming face in the warm forest light, well, he made no mention.

This was the first time Bilbo Baggins stopped to admire foreign flora, but it would not be the last. The first three times, the dwarves all moaned and complained about it, but eventually they just accepted it as a bizarre hobbit custom. They learned to ignore it and move on; every dwarf except Thorin Oakenshield.

Each time Bilbo stopped, Thorin suddenly grew very alert. The reason for this was because he was so irritated with the Halfling. Anybody could attack him while he stood there sniffing roses! And they needed him alive for the burglary.

(This was not the actual reason; it’s just something Thorin told himself. The real reason was that Thorin Oakenshield had grown very fond of Bilbo. So fond, that everytime Bilbo stopped to smile at a flower, Thorin found himself unable to look away from his smile. He wanted to see that smile as much as possible.)

Thorin thought himself to be very subtle about his observations, but alas, subtlety was not a trait that came to dwarfs naturally (even if Thorin is very subtle, considering). Balin and Dwalin had already taken notice to their king’s behavior, but they decided not to question it, as they knew very well how badly Thorin would take it.

So, their journey went on, with Bilbo stopping regularly to admire flowers, and Thorin gawking at him like he was the treasure of Erebor.

One time, when they had taken a pause to rest their aching limbs, Bombur had asked Bilbo “What on earth is it that fascinates you so about flowers? They’re good for nothing, not even food!”

Bilbo had laughed at this (causing Thorin to drop his pipe on his foot with a hiss), and answered “Oh, let me tell you, they are good for everything. Not that I’d expect you to understand, being dwarves and all- no offense!”

“Why don’t you try to explain, we’ll try to understand”, suggested Bofur.

“Well. What can I say! They are beautiful, fresh, full of life, and a constant reminder of how lovely the world can be. A much needed reminder, out here. Nothing makes me happier than flowers! Well. Except a good dinner, of course. Or breakfast. Or just food!”

Bilbo’s description of flowers seemed very familiar to Thorin, who was listening to the conversation with interest; he thought he knew something that made him feel the same, even though he wouldn’t ever admit it (least of all to himself).

“Sounds like elven talk to me!”, Bofur said, “I’d much rather like it if the ground sprouted moonshine, instead.”

“Are there any flowers you can eat?” Asked Bombur in a curious fashion. Bilbo nodded.

“Yes, well. You make teas and cakes out of flowers. And mustard. Lavender, you can eat, Angelicas too..”

“Oh, one more word about flowers and I’ll combust!” Exclaimed Dwalin, “it’s as if we hired a small elf to be our burglar, instead of a hobbit!”

Thorin snorted quietly at this, even if he thought Bilbo was a good deal more agreeable than one of those tree-shagging bastards.

“Oh, excuse me, but I do not quite recall. Did the contract say anything about flowers? No? Well, then I apologize for assuming that I have a freedom of speech.” Bilbo said with pink cheeks, “What’s so bad about elves anyway? I think elves are a decent folk. I’d go so far as saying I love elven culture, and I think them to be very kind and… and sophisticated people!”

 

Bombur and Bofur laughed when he said this, and Dwalin huffed angrily.

“We have many a reason to dislike elves, master Baggins”, Thorin spoke out loud, and Bilbo turned his head to him, “the side you have seem to them is very different from the side I have known.”

After Thorin had said this, everything seemed unnaturally quiet, and Bilbo, Bombur and Bofur started talking again (of a different subject), when Thorin had turned his back to them. It was something that happened to Thorin often- he simply couldn’t converse with the burglar without making things awkward. Thorin wished things were in a different way, but it seemed like any attempt of his to speak with Bilbo were doomed to be a forever tense and unpleasant affair.

Thorin was about to sit down on the grass, feeling sorry for himself, when he saw a lonely red tulip on the ground. I felt like it was taunting him, and for a second, he considered crushing it under his boot. However, he thought about Bilbo’s smile, and picked it up instead. While Thorin could honestly say that he much preferred a good ruby, he could not deny that the flower was rather beautiful. He put it in his pocket, whilst thinking that he might give it to Bilbo(in a platonic way, of course. Just as a symbol of friendship and acceptance.), as Thorin himself had no use for it.

 

By the time they had reached Mirkwood, Thorin had completely forgotten about the little tulip. In fact, he would never have remembered it, if not for Gandalf who, right before leaving, spotted the flower.

“What is that in your pocket, master Dwarf? Surely not a weapon”, Gandalf wondered, reminding him of the little flower.

“Oh, that”, Thorin muttered, trying to sound less nervous than he actually was, “that is just a weed I picked up. It matter not- ’s probably dead and dry now.”

“I wouldn’t say that…” Gandalf said quietly and extended his bony hand, “can I… can I take a closer look?”

Thorin narrowed his eyes at Gandalf in suspicion, but reached into his pocket and pulled out the flower. To Thorin’s amazement, the flower wasn’t dry and colourless at all- it looked and felt as fresh as they day he’d found it.

“I thought so.” Gandalf said, pleased with himself.

“What is this?” Thorin breathed.

“This is an enchanted flower. Enchanted by elves, I should think. That means it cannot wither.”

“Elves. I should have known.” Thorin spat.

“I imagine our Hobbit would be overjoyed at such a finding”, Gandalf mused, “Have you shown it to him?”

“Why should I!” Thorin said, perhaps a bit too defensively, as Gandalf gave him a knowing look (damn that wizard! Thorin thought).

“Then why did you pick it? You’ll forgive me, Master Oakenshield, but it does not seem a very dwarfish thing to do.”

“I don’t see how that’s any concern of yours”, Thorin growled.

“Perhaps it is not”, Gandalf said. He did not seem insulted by Thorin’s offensive tone, instead, he sounded highly amused, “Well, I wish you all luck in your quest, Thorin son of Thrain.”

After Gandalf had left, the company entered Mirkwood. Thorin thought that they managed to find their way quite well, until they did the thing they were not supposed to do; leave the path. From there, it all got worse and worse; after wandering, lost and hungry, for weeks, they got captured by giant dwarf-eating spiders. Thorin thanked Mahal that they were freed, but it was only to be captured by elves. Dwarves liked elves badly enough as it was, but these were the elves under Kind Thranduil, who was the only one Thorin thought he maybe hated more than Smaug.

And Bilbo Baggins was gone.

After a failed attempt at interrogating Thorin, Thranduil locked Thorin and the other dwarves in dark, lonesome cells (Thorin’s cell was the darkest and most lonesome of them all).

As elves were not as horrendous hosts (if you could call them that) as goblins or orcs, they kept their prisoners fed, at least. At first, Thorin had refused to accept any food offered to him by the elves, but after two days, he felt his resolve weakening; he felt like he was going mad, just from the darkness and damp air, he needed to maintain his sanity in any way possible.

The food was not the best, in fact, it was very little, and had no meat at all. Still, Thorin ate it, and felt a bit disgusted with himself as he did so.

As the weeks passed, he grew weaker and weaker. Perhaps I shall rot here, he thought bitterly, lonely and forgotten- a death fit for a king without kingdom.

During his stay in the cell, he found himself thinking very much of Bilbo. Thorin would never in his life have described himself as a romantic, but in the solitude of his prison, he would often think of Bilbo’s eyes, his rosy cheeks, his beardless chin and his soft curls. When he was feeling particularly hopeless, he would pull the tulip out of his pocket, caress it softly and think about Bilbo’s smile, trying to remember what his laughter sounded like.

Sometimes, Thorin wondered if Bilbo Baggins was dead. Those times, he tried to belittle it. He would tell himself: “That damn hobbit has been nothing but trouble from start to finish”, or “what a burglar he turned out to be!” but it only made him even sadder.

Thorin’s spirit and body only weakened as time passed in the cells, and after another week of nothing but darkness, Thorin was beginning to think that perhaps it was better to just agree to whatever Thranduil offered.

But, just as he had begun to think like that, he heard a small voice in the dark.

“Thorin?”

At once, Thorin recognized the voice (he had dreamt about it many times during his imprisonment), and he turned his head so fast his braids smacked his nose, but he saw nothing.

“Bilbo?” Thorin called, his voice so hoarse he barely recognized it himself, “is it truly you? Or is it just another infernal elvish trick?”

“It’s me”, Bilbo whispered, “wait. I forgot! There.”

Suddenly, the small figure of Bilbo Baggins was visible for Thorin to see. Thorin felt his chest grow warm at the sight, and he quickly (as quickly as he could, considering his miserable condition) pressed up against the bars.

“Bilbo, you are here, I thought we’d lost you.” Thorin breathed and looked at Bilbo’s face. It was every bit as gorgeous as he remembered, even though, he still couldn’t fathom why: The hobbit was completely without a beard, and still, Thorin thought him a more breathtaking sight than any dwarrowdame.

“What can I say. I seem to have become quite the burglar!”

“Indeed”, Thorin whispered, “oh, Bilbo, you are the only friendly face I’ve seen in a long time.”

“I could say the same for you. I’ve only seen Spiders and elves- not pleasant meetings at all, might I add.”

“You escaped the spiders and entered Thranduil’s kingdom... You are truly full of wonders.”

“I. I wouldn’t go that far!” Bilbo said with a nervous hug of laughter. Thorin stroked Bilbo’s hand with his thumb and said, with a very gentle voice.

“Without you, I’d have gone mad. It seems like I shall be forever in your debt.”

“In. No! No, not at all. Why- No, Thorin, I, we are friends. There is no need for talk of. Of debts, and-“

“I cannot repay my debt properly”, Thorin interrupted, as he had just remembered something, “but I have something for you, still.”

Thorin reached into his pocket, and then put the red flower in Bilbo’s hands. Bilbo gasped at the sight, and he looked at it for a long time, his mouth open and his cheeks as red as the tulip itself.

“It’s enchanted”, Thorin explained(Bilbo probably wondered how the flower had stayed alive for so long), “it won’t die. I picked it for you.”

Bilbo looked up at Thorin with large eyes, and Thorin felt a bit confused. Perhaps he’d done something wrong? Had he offended the Hobbit?

“I know of course, it isn’t enough to repay my debt.” Thorin added hastily, because he thought that the reason for Bilbo’s reaction was that he wanted gold instead (as a dwarf would have demanded).

“Thorin, I.” Bilbo said, and then let out a breath, “I would never have thought. I.”

Then, Bilbo did something Thorin would never have expected. He touched Thorin’s cheek, and stroke it lightly.

“It is a bit. Sudden, I grant, but.” Bilbo said, “I suppose we cannot know if tomorrow ever comes.”

Thorin dared not to speak, as Bilbo leaned closer to his face. His heart was beating wildly in his chest, and he couldn’t help but think that this was all some cruel trick by the elves. It must be a trick, Thorin thought, because it almost seemed as though Bilbo was going to kiss him.

Just then, their lips met.

It wasn’t particularly passionate or sensual, but Thorin’s whole being still felt like he was on fire at the touch. It was something so incredible that Bilbo Baggins should kiss him, that he couldn’t believe it. When Bilbo pulled back with a smile on his face, Thorin could not help himself, but pressed his mouth against Bilbo’s once again. This time, he moved his lips against Bilbo’s, wanting to taste as much as he possibly could. He found himself groaning when Bilbo responded by moving his tongue along Thorin’s lower lip. Before Thorin knew what happened, they were gasping into each other’s mouths, trying to touch whatever they could through the bars.

“Thorin”, Bilbo exhaled as they drew back, “oh Thorin. Why did you not say anything sooner?”

After being kissed more thoroughly than he could ever remember being kissed, and with a mouth tasting of Bilbo, Thorin’s mind was too sluggish too work properly, and he simply let out a sound that could be taken either way. Bilbo laughed and kissed his cheek, before standing up.

“I’m afraid I must leave”, Bilbo said, “the guards will be back any second. But. Thorin.”

Thorin looked up at Bilbo.

“I will be back.”

Then, Bilbo disappeared. Thorin was obviously very perplexed at this, but just assumed his mind was playing tricks with him.

He later learned that Bilbo was in possession that made him invisible, which explained quite a lot.

What he also learned later was that a red tulip, in the flower language of Hobbits, was the same as a very bold declaration of love.

This also explained quite a lot.

**Author's Note:**

> SORRY BUT YES I LOVE THEM OK 
> 
> /written at like 12 PM it's probably horrid but whatever i can't bother to correct it xI


End file.
